Au Train Township Alger County Au Train Township Master Plan Prepared By: Au Train Township Planning Commission & Au Train Township Board Adopted: October 10, 2011 Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Page 1.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Au Train Township Historical Background............................................................ 1-2 2.0 POPULATION 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Population Trends ................................................................................................ 2-1 2.3 Age and Gender ................................................................................................... 2-4 2.4 Ethnic Composition .............................................................................................. 2-7 2.5 Educational Attainment ....................................................................................... 2-8 2.6 Household Characteristics ................................................................................... 2-9 2.7 Issues and Opportunities ................................................................................... 2-10 3.0 ECONOMIC BASE 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Area Economy ...................................................................................................... 3-1 3.3 Civilian Labor Force .............................................................................................. 3-2 3.4 Employment by Industry Group........................................................................... 3-3 3.5 Employment by Place of Work ............................................................................ 3-4 3.6 Unemployment .................................................................................................... 3-6 3.7 Major Area Employers ......................................................................................... 3-8 3.8 Income ............................................................................................................... 3-11 3.9 Poverty Rates ..................................................................................................... 3-13 3.10 Issues and Opportunities ................................................................................... 3-13 4.0 HOUSING 4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 Housing Characteristics ........................................................................................ 4-1 4.3 Financial Characteristics ...................................................................................... 4-8 4.4 Current Housing Trends ..................................................................................... 4-12 4.5 Issues and Opportunities ................................................................................... 4-13 5.0 COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES 5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 5-1 5.2 Township Owned Facilities and Services ............................................................. 5-1 5.3 Additional Facilities and Services ......................................................................... 5-4 5.4 County and Other Facilities .................................................................................. 5-5 5.5 Issues and Opportunities ................................................................................... 5-14 i 6.0 TRANSPORTATION 6.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 6-1 6.2 Road System ......................................................................................................... 6-1 6.3 Private Roads ....................................................................................................... 6-3 6.4 National Classification of Roads ........................................................................... 6-4 6.5 Road Condition Evaluation .................................................................................. 6-5 6.6 Road Improvements............................................................................................. 6-6 6.7 Financing .............................................................................................................. 6-6 6.8 Traffic Flow and Volume ...................................................................................... 6-8 6.9 Public Transportation ........................................................................................... 6-9 6.10 Rail Service ........................................................................................................... 6-9 6.11 Air Transportation ................................................................................................ 6-9 6.12 Port Facilities ........................................................................................................ 6-9 6.13 Non-motorized Transportation Facilities ........................................................... 6-10 6.14 Issues and Opportunities ................................................................................... 6-10 7.0 RECREATION 7.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 7-1 7.2 Recreation Administration ................................................................................... 7-1 7.3 Township Owned Recreation Facilities ................................................................ 7-2 7.4 Recreation Development Schedule ..................................................................... 7-3 7.5 Barrier Free Status ............................................................................................... 7-3 7.6 Additional Recreational Facilities......................................................................... 7-4 7.7 Area Recreational Facilities .................................................................................. 7-8 7.8 State and National Historic Sites ......................................................................... 7-9 7.9 Issues and Opportunities ................................................................................... 7-11 8.0 NATURAL FEATURES 8.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 8-1 8.2 Geology and Bedrock Geology ............................................................................. 8-1 8.3 Surface Geology ................................................................................................... 8-2 8.4 Soils ...................................................................................................................... 8-3 8.5 Topography .......................................................................................................... 8-4 8.6 Water Features .................................................................................................... 8-5 8.7 Floodplains, Wetlands and Erosion Issues ........................................................... 8-6 8.8 Mineral Resources ............................................................................................... 8-8 8.9 Hiawatha National Forest .................................................................................... 8-8 8.10 Scenic Sites ......................................................................................................... 8-10 8.11 Climate ............................................................................................................... 8-11 8.12 Issues and Opportunities ................................................................................... 8-11 ii 9.0 LAND USE 9.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 9-1 9.2 Factors Affecting Land Use .................................................................................. 9-1 9.3 Land Cover Inventory ........................................................................................... 9-3 9.4 Residential Land Use ............................................................................................ 9-4 9.5 Commercial Land Use .......................................................................................... 9-5 9.6 Industrial Land Use .............................................................................................. 9-6 9.7 Forest and Agricultural Land Use ......................................................................... 9-6 9.8 Land Ownership ................................................................................................... 9-7 9.9 Public and Quasi-Public Land Use ........................................................................ 9-7 9.10 Contaminated Sites .............................................................................................. 9-8 9.11 Issues and Opportunities ..................................................................................... 9-9 10.0 GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 10.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................